The fiasco that is 222 Corfield Street needs a further comment. Do I believe we need a supportive housing facility? Without a doubt. In fact the entire project is long overdue. Do I believe it is in the optimal location? Absolutely not. But none of these opinions matter. What does matter is the frightening way that our mayor and council chose to handle this entire issue.
I have seen various levels of government ramrod projects through in the past but never with the total disregard for the residents that our mayor and council showed during this project. Of course there were supporters for the project and rightfully so but the dissenters were told by our mayor to ‘shut up’ during a recent meeting on the issue.
I’m not certain I have ever heard an elected official react in that manner to his taxpayers. But again that does not matter. Who voted which way and who was for and who was against also did not matter.
My point? One word. Referendum. If this was the right location for this project and if the taxpayers had been properly informed about the details a referendum would have been the logical and the democratic answer. That is where it becomes frightening because democracy was swept aside to force through a project where we will never know if the majority of taxpayers supported it or not.
I am urging taxpayers to vote in the next election for councillors and a mayor who will actually listen and provide us with the democratic option that our veterans fought for us to have. A referendum would have given everyone an opportunity to exercise their democratic right.
Jerry Filipski
Parksville